How is the glossary widget useful when the slide won't stop?

[largo84]

This is my first day trying to learn Captivate 8. I created a glossary widget on a blank page thinking it might serve as a valuable resource. When I preview it, the widget doesn't even show up until most of ther way through the time duration and then stops. I must be missing something obvious because apparently C8 creates movies, not self timed pages. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Rob............

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Indeed Captivate does create something akin to a movie. But you also have the power to command it to stop. You do this by inserting other objects on slides. Perhaps a Click Box, or a Button or a Smart Shape configured as a Button or a Text Entry Box. All of those objects will pause playback until something commands the play to resume.

And as for when it will appear, that too is in your control. It may appear immediately, after a few seconds, your choice.

Cheers... Rick

[largo84]

OK, thanks! I think part of the problem is that hitting the Preview> Play Slide button doesn't display the widget at all. It sort of works when I use Preview>In Browser. HTML5 display is awful. Looks like I still have a lot to figure out.

Rob..........

[Captiv8r]

Yep, I see it all the time in my Captivate classes. Participants seem to always want to preview that way and it's so seldom the way to preview as all it does is give you an idea as to the slide timing.

Cheers... Rick

[largo84]

Hmmm, so maybe they should rename that control 'Play Slide (except everything you want to see on the slide)

[Captiv8r]

Well, it does exactly what it says. It just plays the timeline of the slide.

What you need to understand is that its purpose is just to check timing of when specific elements will appear and disappear. As you have learned on your own, is that any type of interaction is not possible. The playhead moves, you see items appear and disappear and at the end everything simply appears and you are right back in edit mode.

Cheers... Rick

[largo84]

If that's the case, why does the widget not appear at all? I have it set to start at 0 seconds and remain for the duration of the project. When I hit Preview>Play Slide I see the slide background and nothing else for the 8 seconds the slide is set to play. It's not obvious to me why the widget element remains invisible.

BTW, thank you for your responses. It has been very helpful, though I must say that this is the most difficult and frustrating piece of software I've ever tried to learn.

[Captiv8r · Accepted solution]

LOL, only one of the Adobe engineers can say why it fails to appear during the "Play this slide" type of preview.

Does it appear for the Next 5 Slides or the Project or the Browser preview?

As it's an interaction, perhaps Captivate has to render it before it can properly present it.

Cheers... Rick

[largo84]

Yes it does. I suppose you're right in suggesting that since it's an 'Interaction' that explains why it doesn't show there. Sure wasted a lot of time on that bit of arcane knowledge, but thanks for the help.